Celia Imrie — romance-minded Madge Hardcastle in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) — says people turned out for that movie because “it touched an audience that had never had a film so directed at their time of life. It was all about tackling a new adventure as a lovely way to end your days.”

With the sequel (waggishly titled The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) set to debut on March 6, I made my way to Claridge’s Hotel in London — clearly second to no other establishment — for a chat with Imrie and castmate Lillete Dubey (Mrs. Kapoor, above).

Tucking into their definition of tea-time snacks — a huge plate of French fries and an overflowing box of malted milk balls — the two elegant women explained how the sequel keeps the adventure going. “The [second] film is about being open to the infinite possibilities life has to offer at any stage,” says Dubey, 61. “I think it’s one of the few films that venture into that zone in a joyous way. It says life never stops surprising you unless you let it.

“I loved it when Maggie [Smith] says to Judi [Dench], ‘How many lives can we have?’ and Judi says, ‘As many as we like.’ It’s about fearlessness — being ready to take a risk.”

Celia Imrie is back as easy Madge Hardcastle in the second blooming of “Exotic Marigold Hotel.”

Imrie (left), 56, nods. “It was easy to play someone embracing life after 50,” she laughs. “That’s precisely what I’m doing! But the script is unpredictable: Madge isn’t quite sure what she wants — or whether she will get it.”

In Second Marigold, says director John Madden, the members of the “unconventional family” we met in the original have grown to understand and appreciate their adopted land; once perplexing, India is now home. Douglas (Bill Nighy) has a bike shop and works as a tour guide; Evelyn (Judi Dench) is developing a textile business. Madge and Norman (Ronald Pickup) are running the Viceroy Club, and Madge has two wealthy maharajahs spicing up her life.

The expat band must deal with the arrival of Richard Gere, playing an attractive-and-perhaps-available American named Guy Chambers. “The actors all knew one another very well,” says Imrie, making it easy to convey “the familiarity of residents living together in the same hotel. Then — in both reality and in the story — this handsome stranger suddenly arrives. Life reflected art.”

As for realretirement, most Second Marigold actors are merely playing the part: “I don’t think about retiring at all,” says Dubey. “I’d be utterly bored in four days!”

If Second Marigold blooms as lustrously as the first — $136 million in global revenue, plus Best Picture nominations from The Hollywood Foreign Press, BAFTA and the Screen Actors Guild — Imrie, Dubey and the rest of the cast should be able to put off checking out of this particular hotel indefinitely.

]]>http://blog.aarp.org/2015/03/02/exotic-marigold-hotel-lets-check-back-in/feed/0Clark Terry: Master Jazz Trumpeter and Educatorhttp://blog.aarp.org/2015/02/23/clark-terry-master-jazz-trumpeter-and-educator/
http://blog.aarp.org/2015/02/23/clark-terry-master-jazz-trumpeter-and-educator/#commentsMon, 23 Feb 2015 18:51:18 +0000http://blog.aarp.org/?p=116900The day before J.K. Simmons won an Oscar (best supporting actor) for his portrayal of a sadistic jazz teacher in Damien Chazelle’s pulsating, fictional movie Whiplash, legendary jazz trumpeter and educator Clark Terry died Feb. 21 at age 94 after a long battle with diabetes.

Terry — known for his affable nature as much as his musical brilliance — was one of the main figures in another 2014 breakout film, Alan Hicks’ touching documentary Keep On Keepin’ On. That film told a different, decidedly more nuanced narrative about a mentor-student relationship between Terry and an aspiring 23-year-old blind pianist, Justin Kauflin.

In Keep On Keepin’ On, Terry and Kauflin’s friendship exuded a gentleness that’s seldom captured by Hollywood filmmakers who attempt to depict modern-day jazz life. And not to take anything away from Simmons’ riveting performance, but Keep On Keepin’ On didn’t bolster its dramatic gravitas on melodramatic clichés about tortured geniuses.

The documentary effectively captured Terry’s avuncular sweetness while tracing his incredible backstory of growing up poor in East St. Louis, Mo., becoming entranced by jazz as an early teenager; building his first “trumpet” out a funnel and water hose; getting a legit horn — and then becoming one of jazz’s most virtuosic and beloved figures of all time.

Terry’s career stretched seven decades, with him playing as a sideman for such giants as Charlie Barnet, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan and a host of others, while also becoming a major influence on other leading jazz lights, notably Miles Davis and Quincy Jones. Terry also broke racial barriers by becoming NBC’s first African American staff musician; he was a member of the Tonight Show band for 10 years.

Terry began recording his own sizable discography as a leader in 1954 with his eponymous debut for EmArcy Records, and continued recording for various other labels for 50 years.

His most popular signature tune, “Mumbles,” dates to 1966; it featured him scatting incoherent words with humorous gibberish. For sure, the tune was kitsch; but it has a jovial magnetism that regularly drew in fans — jazz purists and novices alike. And more important, the song never obscured the sheer brilliance of Terry’s musicianship or the joys of being a jazz musician that the cinema rarely depicts.

]]>http://blog.aarp.org/2015/02/23/clark-terry-master-jazz-trumpeter-and-educator/feed/0Few African Americans Take Advantage of Retirement Planning Productshttp://blog.aarp.org/2015/02/09/few-african-americans-take-advantage-of-retirement-planning-products/
http://blog.aarp.org/2015/02/09/few-african-americans-take-advantage-of-retirement-planning-products/#commentsMon, 09 Feb 2015 06:28:07 +0000http://blog.aarp.org/?p=114934Recent research shows that most African Americans/blacks age 50-plus use financial products, such as checking accounts and savings accounts. But only 1 in 10 use retirement planning products, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account (IRA). Millions of Americans haven’t saved any money for their golden years, and millions of others haven’t saved nearly enough. According to the Federal Reserve, the median balance of retirement accounts totals less than $60,000, and many African Americans/blacks have saved even less.

If you have high amounts of debt that prevent you from saving for retirement, AARP’s Credit Card Pay Off Calculator can assist in showing what it will take to pay off your credit card balances and how you can meet your repayment goals.

If you have access to an employer defined benefit plan such as a 401(k) or 403(b), make sure you are contributing up to the employer match — don’t leave free money on the table. AARP’s 401(k) Calculator can help you see the impact that your contributions and the employer match will have in growing your retirement.

If you don’t have access to a traditional 401(k), consider investing in an IRA that can assist you in saving for retirement. AARP’s Traditional IRA Calculator can help you determine how much your contributions might amount to at retirement.

AARP helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for and equips Americans 50 and older to live their best lives. Discover all the ways AARP can help you, your family and your community at AARP Black Community.

]]>http://blog.aarp.org/2015/02/09/few-african-americans-take-advantage-of-retirement-planning-products/feed/0How to Make Your Financial Dreams a Realityhttp://blog.aarp.org/2015/02/09/how-to-make-your-financial-dreams-a-reality/
http://blog.aarp.org/2015/02/09/how-to-make-your-financial-dreams-a-reality/#commentsMon, 09 Feb 2015 05:49:59 +0000http://blog.aarp.org/?p=114719In his “I Have a Dream” speech, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged us to think about the real possibilities of a brighter future — a future that affords us to live in comfort and prosperity. It is in that spirit that we encourage you to evaluate your dream of financial security.

There are several steps you should consider to help you work toward financial freedom as you kick off the new year with a fresh perspective about your finances.

Establish a plan: Set short- and long-term financial goals. Planning is important to any goal — and your money is not any different. One of the first things you might want to consider is developing a budget. AARP’s Budget Calculator can help you achieve your savings goals. It all begins with tracking your spending — knowing what’s coming in and what’s going out.

Clean up your debt and improve your credit. Debt can be the primary cause for not reaching your financial dreams. Start now by examining your outstanding debt — credit cards, student loans, car loans, etc. If you find you are spending too much on wants and not needs, identify ways to cut your spending. Attempt to reduce your credit card debt by paying down those balances with the highest interest rates first, and then work from there. AARP’s Credit Card Pay Off Calculator can help.

Build your reserves. Building your nest egg today will help you achieve financial freedom in the future. When something unexpected happens — a sudden illness or job loss — it’s important to have money on hand to help you get through it. Work on building up savings that will cover six months of expenses. When you finally reduce your credit card debt you can put money toward your savings or retirement accounts. Your bank and/or credit union is a good place to start to build on your short-term savings goals.

Invest for the long haul. Have you considered how much it will cost to live in the future? The cost of living, health care costs and ultimately the lifestyle you want to maintain will determine how much you will need. AARP’s Retirement Calculator can help you determine just how you need to save today for when you decide you no longer want to work.

If you have access to a defined benefit plan through your employer, make sure you are contributing the maximum to receive the employer match. Don’t leave free money on the table. If you don’t have an employer plan, consider opening a Roth IRA that can help you save for the future.

AARP helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for and equips Americans 50 and older to live their best lives. Discover all the ways AARP can help you, your family and your community at AARP Black Community.

]]>http://blog.aarp.org/2015/02/09/how-to-make-your-financial-dreams-a-reality/feed/0Be Generous, but Give What You Can Affordhttp://blog.aarp.org/2015/02/09/be-generous-but-give-what-you-can-afford/
http://blog.aarp.org/2015/02/09/be-generous-but-give-what-you-can-afford/#commentsMon, 09 Feb 2015 05:32:26 +0000http://blog.aarp.org/?p=113949African Americans/blacks have a history of giving. More than two-thirds give to churches and organized charities. We also give to family members who need help paying bills, college students who need tuition assistance and others. We are responsive to our churches and Greek-letter organizations that make appeals.

I applaud the giving tradition and am, indeed, part of it. Yet it is important that our gifts are part of a budget and that we plan our giving in the same way we plan anything else.

This is especially important as we move into the reduced- or fixed-income stage of our lives, and also face increased pressure both to be generous and to attend to family needs (elderly parents and unemployed children, in particular).

So put your fingers to a computer spreadsheet or pen to paper, and develop a giving budget.

Do you tithe? Add it to the budget.

List the charities you support and how much you will give them. Budget something extra to support causes your friends support. Choose an amount that is comfortable and stick to it.

Don’t forget your alma mater, especially if you went to a historically black college or university. Infact, if you didn’t go to an HBCU, adopt one.

Put gifts to family and friends into your budget and stick to it.

The point is not to put the brakes on your generosity but to put your generosity in the context of your budget and your ability to give.

This is the first in a series of six guest blogs by economist, author and commentator Julianne Malveaux.

AARP helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities, and fights for and equips Americans 50 and older to live their best lives. Discover all the ways AARP can help you, your family and your community at AARP Black Community.

]]>http://blog.aarp.org/2015/02/09/be-generous-but-give-what-you-can-afford/feed/0Wreaths Salute Veterans and 150th Anniversary at Arlington National Cemeteryhttp://blog.aarp.org/2014/12/08/wreaths-salute-veterans-and-150th-anniversary-at-arlington-national-cemetery/
http://blog.aarp.org/2014/12/08/wreaths-salute-veterans-and-150th-anniversary-at-arlington-national-cemetery/#commentsMon, 08 Dec 2014 16:28:34 +0000http://blog.aarp.org/?p=108496As the holidays draw near, volunteers with a heart for military veterans are gearing up for a special salute — National Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 13.

The observance, held every second Saturday in December to remember and honor vets nationwide, will have added significance at Arlington National Cemetery, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary. The plan is to lay wreaths on the 230,000 graves as well as at the cemetery’s John F. Kennedy memorial/gravesite, the Mast of the Battleship Maine, and the Tomb of the Unknowns. Wreath-laying ceremonies also will occur at more than 800 military cemeteries across the country.

It’s a monumental task that emerged from one man’s desire to honor those who served in the military. In 1992, Maine wreath company owner Morill Worcester had a surplus of about 5,000 holiday wreaths. Remembering a childhood trip to Arlington National Cemetery that left an indelible mark on him, Morill helped organize a wreath-laying tribute on those hallowed grounds. It became an annual tribute that inspired the establishment of the nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) in 2007.

Today, the organization, based in Columbia Falls, Maine, relies on about 400,000 individuals who help raise funds, transport and place wreaths, and “share our mission to ‘Remember, Honor and Teach,’” says spokeswoman Amber Caron. It now boasts more than 1,000 branches, including 27 overseas.

WAA remembers and honors veterans through initiatives such as Thanks a Million, which distributes cards to people nationwide to share with veterans to thank them for their service. It maintains a museum at its headquarters that displays hundreds of military memorabilia, and offers books and learning tools to help children appreciate the importance of veterans.

“We like to teach the young generation about the sacrifices veterans have made and the role they have played in safeguarding the country’s freedoms and its security,” says Wayne Hanson, WAA board chairman and a Vietnam War veteran.

But as far as visibly honoring veterans, WAA’s ultimate goal to place a wreath “on every veteran’s grave in every cemetery across the United States,” Hanson says. “With WAA continuing to grow on a yearly basis, anything is possible.”

]]>http://blog.aarp.org/2014/12/08/wreaths-salute-veterans-and-150th-anniversary-at-arlington-national-cemetery/feed/0Make Last-Minute Deals Work for Youhttp://blog.aarp.org/2014/12/04/make-last-minute-deals-work-for-you/
http://blog.aarp.org/2014/12/04/make-last-minute-deals-work-for-you/#commentsThu, 04 Dec 2014 18:38:15 +0000http://blog.aarp.org/?p=108465Does the phrase “last-minute” make you nervous? It shouldn’t. All you need to know is when you want to go. If your agenda isn’t set in stone, and if you’re willing to spend a little time on research, you can put together a perfect vacation in no time. In fact, some of the most savvy travelers plan all their travels this way. Here are some of their best tips.

Make some preliminary decisions. Start by balancing your cost savings with the time you’re willing to spend on research. How long do you want to spend looking for deals? A day? Two days? And what are you looking for? A great hotel or a cheap one you’ll barely be in? The best airfare? An entire package? Once you’ve decided on these basics, you’re ready to hit the Internet. Sit down and start a Google search to look for what you need.

There are lots of travel-specific and all-inclusive websites that will make your search simple — lastminute.com can save you up to 70 percent on airfare, hotel rooms, activities or entire packages. Travelzoo.com screens thousands of websites and e-newsletter deals for you to peruse.

Here’s something important to remember: Lots of airlines and travel websites track how many times you’ve visited — and they may change their prices accordingly. Diabolical, right? Therefore, take an extra minute to clear your Internet browser’s history, cache and cookies — so that every time you visit, it looks like it’s the first time.

Airfares: Sorting it all out. Although you can find good deals at the last minute when an airline has seats to fill (use lastminute.com and lastminutetravel.com or the airline’s website), you’ll typically find more choices and better prices if you start looking for fares a few weeks out. There’s plenty of help here with the regular travel sites. There are also as many opinions about strategy for booking as there are flights. Sundays are typically a good day to purchase fares. So are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Remember that the cheapest days to fly are the least popular ones: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. And of course, you know the red-eye or the first flight in the morning will be cheaper and will save you time in the airport — so consider traveling during these off-peak hours.

Hotels: Get great deals the night before. Let’s say the hotel is a deal breaker for you — you’re planning to sleep in and eat in, so it’s got to be fabulous. Compare the offerings listed on hotel websites with the prices quoted on websites such as lastminutetravel.com, Kayak.com, hoteltonight.com and hotels.com. Don’t forget the old standbys: Travelocity and Expedia can sometimes get you the best deal. Remember that memberships in organizations like AAA and AARP might save you additional money. And finally, don’t be afraid to call the hotel directly to bargain for the best rate. You may be surprised what telephones can still do for you these days.

It’s good to remember that hotels always have a deal going, and it’s safe to save your booking until you’ve gotten the rest of the trip planned. But there are few caveats. Look out for taxes and fees. You may have to dig a little deeper online than you’re inclined to. For example, some sites will give you a price per night, but you won’t see the added taxes and fees until you click “book now.” Look for fine print on the length of your stay, too. The default on some sites is two nights, and you have to adjust that to reveal the true cost per night of your planned stay. When you’re checking out, look for a daily resort fee tacked onto your bill. You can often negotiate to have it removed. Sometimes a simple “I didn’t use the pool or the gym at all” will take care of it.

Grab a car on the go. Plenty of websites for rentals, too. Try Hotwire.com and lastminutetravel.com. And check the actual company websites for special last-minute deals. Remember that renting a car at an airport location costs more. If your destination is a small city or a non-hub airport, reserve a compact car. There’s a good chance there won’t be any available when you arrive (companies know most people don’t like to drive them), and you’ll get a free upgrade.

These may be top picks for teenagers as well, but in the new AARP Travel Trends Survey for the 50-plus, these were also two of the top items packed as the 50-plus head out for travel. I am excited to share some interesting observations from our new research on how people 50-plus will travel next year. Are you ready?

Americans 50-plus spend $1.2 billion dollars a year on leisure travel, and it is not slowing down. With that much to spend, you have to ask what their travel plans are for next year. What’s hot and what’s not?

The top reasons for travel in 2015 are not a surprise — escape and relaxation time with family and friends. Summer vacation is a top priority, as is a group trip with many generations of family members, and checking off items on individual bucket lists. Travel is the No. 1 goal for this crowd. It is not a surprise that they enjoy four to five leisure trips per year and plan to take that many trips in 2015 as well.

What is a surprise?
With all this energy around travel, the 50-plus are neither taking all their vacation days nor totally unplugging — and some are taking a staycation versus a trip. Only 52 percent say they use all their vacation days, 32 percent are likely to take work with them on personal trips and 4 in 10 people age 50-plus plan to take a staycation.

What? Travel is good for you! It is like a huge vitamin for your physical and mental health, your relationships, your family and more. I have seen tons of research, including this report by the U.S. Travel Association, touting the power of unplugging as a way to get recharged and ready to roll at work. Employees who take vacation time are, in the end, more productive.

Are we missing out on the secret sauce by not taking our time away? Yes. There is huge power in dreaming about your trip and planning it — as well as the trip. Then there are all the great stories and pictures. The trip is about so much more than the actual travel.

My photo of the Boundary Waters between the U.S. and Canada near Ely, Minn.

Personally, I live trip to trip. I frequently say that I cannot return from my current trip without at least the bones of my next trip planned. It gives me huge energy and drive as I push through all the demands of work and home and look forward to my next adventure. As for my next adventure, we are working our way as a family through all 50 states. (We are at 34 and counting.) Check out the photo of the Boundary Waters between the U.S. and Canada, near Ely, Minn. Minnesota is No. 28 on our family state trek.

I am off to use the AARP Destination Guides on travel.aarp.org to plan our upcoming New England trip. I promise to use my vacation days (and come back more productive!). With that said, imagine what that $120 billion would look like if the 50-plus took all their vacation days and traveled? Wow! Make the most of every minute and every trip … it’s good for you!

Stephanie Miles is the AARP vice president, Member Value, Products and Platforms.

It’s a Brave New World and I want to be a part of it – online. Growing up in rural west Kentucky, I never imagined having the world at my fingertips. But, my tablet and my smartphone both fit in my purse and they are my ticket to the Web and everything I want to know.

I was thrilled when invited to join AARP Live on RFD-TV and talk about how I’m using technology and the new AARP RealPad. Today, all my friends have smartphones or tablets and browse the Internet for information, maps, shopping and more. They love to browse social media like Facebook and Twitter, and I use search engines like Google, Yahoo to find most anything I need. And just in time for the holidays, I found a new recipe for bourbon balls on Pinterest.

Growing up in McLean County, we didn’t have a telephone in our home until I was in middle school. We borrowed the neighbor’s phone when we needed to make a call, usually to the doctor caring for my grandmother. We were caregivers for her in the early 1960’s.

Devices like tablets and smartphones may seem a little challenging at first glance. So I invited our Walmart manager in Beaver Dam to join our AARP Ohio County Chapter in December to demonstrate the new AARP RealPad to our members. Tablets like the RealPad make browsing the Web simple, straightforward and easy, especially for consumers over 50. It’s one more way I can stay in touch with family, grandchildren and friends all over the county.

I retired in 2007, but I use technology daily as an AARP Kentucky volunteer. I’m especially proud of the work we recently did to support the first fundraiser for Habitat Build 2014 in Ohio County. I’ve used online toolkits to help my friends find the best plans they need during Medicare open enrollment and find coverage in the state’s health benefit exchange — Kynect.

I’ve found that no matter your age, there’s a world of good out there on the Web. My goal for 2015 is to move forward with online banking and bill payments. I’ve found staying up to date on the latest frauds and scams in Kentucky is easy with the AARP Fraud Watch Network. Staying in touch with my elected officials is important to me, and most have email newsletters. And not too long ago, I sent my thoughts to the Federal Communications Commission on the television merger issue facing RFD-TV. I encourage my friends and anyone who wants to be informed (and have fun) to cross the digital divide into that Brave New World of technology.

I hope you’ll tune in to AARP Live and join conversation: Tell us how you use technology to stay in touch with family and friends. Call in during the show, Thursday, Nov. 20, at 10 p.m. ET on RFD-TV, or watch right here on the Web. We’ll take your calls, questions and comments live at 877-731-6733. Two lucky callers will have a chance to win one of two AARP RealPad tablets we’re giving away. (Rules apply)

Six outstanding social innovators will receive a total of $300,000 in cash prizes as winners of The Purpose Prize, an annual contest that recognizes — and rewards — people who are age 60 and over making a positive social impact. You should know about these six people, and when you read their stories, you’ll understand why. They’re powerful examples of using life experience in order to make a difference; they’ve changed thousands of lives and they’re still going strong.

Watch the videos and read the stories of the 2014 winners; their great work will inspire you, too.

2. David Campbell, All Hands Volunteers
Tech executive Campbell was in Thailand when the tsunami hit. He used his management savvy to build a nimble, effective nonprofit that has dispatched 28,000 volunteers to 45 global disaster zones. ($100,000 Purpose Prize for Future Promise, sponsored by Symetra)

3. Pamela Cantor, M.D., Turnaround for Children, Inc.
Child psychiatrist and trauma specialist Cantor leads an organization that helps schools counter the effects of poverty on student learning, reaching tens of thousands of children in low-performing public schools. ($25,000 Purpose Prize for Intergenerational Impact, sponsored by the Eisner Foundation)

4. The Rev. Richard Joyner,Conetoe Family Life CenterJoyner’s thriving, 25-acre community garden and family center is steadily improving the health of his rural congregation, boosting students’ high school graduation rates and economic potential — and providing a model for more than 20 church communities. ($25,000 Purpose Prize)

5. Mauricio Lim Miller,Family Independence InitiativeMiller’s unorthodox approach to ending poverty has helped hundreds of families learn to invest in themselves and their own initiative as they find solutions to increasing income, improving health and education, starting businesses, buying homes and building community. ($25,000 Purpose Prize for Financial Inclusion, sponsored by MetLife Foundation)

6. Kate Williams, Employment Immersion Program, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Recruiter Williams despaired of losing her career and her independence as her sight faded to near-blindness; she now uses the adaptive technology that kept her in the workforce to help the blind find jobs, with results that often surpass conventional employment programs. ($25,000 Purpose Prize)

The Purpose Prize, now in its ninth year, is a project of Encore.org, a national nonprofit that is building a movement to tap the skills and experience of people in midlife and beyond to improve communities and the world. At its core, The Purpose Prize celebrates the transformation of individual dreams into reality, strengthening communities and fighting hard for the issues that matter.